Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana
Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, has called on electoral management bodies in Africa to work towards zero rejected ballots to advance democracy on the continent.
She said the high incidence of rejected ballots in Africa “is a blot on our democracy” and emphasised the need for electoral management bodies (EMB) to work to “ensure that every vote counts.”
Mensa made the call in an interview with the media at the end of the 12th General Assembly of the Association Africa Election Authorities in Accra on Friday.
The meeting crowned the Ninth Annual Continental Forum for Electoral Management Bodies, hosted by Ghana’s Electoral Commission in Accra, from March 12 to 13, 2025.
Mensa said the Forum unanimously acknowledged the worrying nature of the high incidence of rejected ballots in national elections, which had the potential to undermine the credibility of elections on the continent.
It was incumbent on electoral management bodies to deploy workable solutions to address the problem, including e-voting technologies, redesigning of ballot papers, and public education on voting procedures, she noted.
“It is important for us as election management bodies to work to ensure that every vote counts. It’s not enough just to issue papers, ballot papers, to citizens who come to the polls, but it’s important that we educate the citizens and do everything within our power to ensure that every vote counts and every vote matters,” Ghana’s Electoral Commission Chairperson said.
The Association brings together heads of election-related bodies in some 45 countries on the continent to share lessons and best practices and experiences.
At the top of the agenda for the 12th General Assembly in Accra was the election of new leaders who would lead the Association within the next two years.
The meeting also discussed the Association’s new five-year strategic plan that seeks to ensure long-term sustainability and boost visibility.
Mensa said one of the major success stories of the Association was the introduction of the solidarity missions in 2023.
The missions brought together the heads of the EMBs to visit member countries undertaking their general elections.
Data from the EC shows that between 1992 and 2020, one to three per cent votes in Ghana’s national elections were rejected.
In the 2020 General Election, 2.33 per cent of ballots were rejected, and this dropped to 2.08 per cent in the 2024 election.